


Perfect Timing

by honestgrins



Series: Challenge Accepted [16]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2016-04-17
Packaged: 2018-05-10 07:04:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5575885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honestgrins/pseuds/honestgrins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Day 16 - Mates: What if soulmates were real? Obviously, a dating site would take advantage of the concept (and their employees). Caroline doesn't even want to find hers, at this point.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It used to be that no one believed in soul mates. As time passed, it became a silly notion that there was only one person in the entire world meant only for you. People fell in and out of love wildly, never realizing there was something perfect out there, just for them.

As simple as touching hands, a person would just know. The knowledge and yearning would bubble up inside them, only to be soothed by the very hand they were still holding.

A common enough legend, teenagers in the throes of first love would very seriously raise their hand to the other. They would laugh off the devastation when nothing happened, "It's just for fun."

But sometimes…

Sometimes, it worked.

"Oh, Caroline," Elena said dreamily, her saccharine voice practically dripping through the phone. "He's wonderful."

Still applying her makeup for the day, Caroline was careful not to let her derisive snort carry over the speakerphone. "Congratulations," she said, trying not to sound too dry. "You can live happily ever after with Damon Salvatore."

"You don't believe me," Elena asked, and Caroline could easily picture her pout. "It's true!" Caroline resisted pointing out that Elena only had to wait this long to figure out that Damon was the one for her because she had been dating his brother since high school. Poor Stefan.

Caroline sighed, spritzing her face with the finishing spray before picking up her phone. "I believe that you believe it," she hedged. "I'm just not meant to have a soul mate."

It wasn't for a lack of trying on a teenaged Caroline's part, though. She had hoped, wished and prayed to find a love like that, but she wasn't the least bitter about Elena getting it. Not at all.

"I've got to get to work, Elena," she said, trying to get her friend off the phone. "They have this big announcement, and I don't want to be late."

"Fine, but don't give up," Elena chirped. "You'll find your mate, too!"

Rolling her eyes, Caroline hung up the phone and made her way out of the house and toward the subway. "Yeah, because that's exactly what I need right now," she muttered.

* * *

At 25, Caroline was pretty happy with her life. She and her mom finally got along, work was fun and engaging, and her boyfriend was great. Living in New York City had always been a dream for her, so she was literally living her dream.

Weaving through other people on the sidewalk, Caroline quickly strode into the eMates headquarters. For all her doubts about soulmates, she loved her job working for the dating service. As an event manager, she handled everything from corporate retreats to singles mixers the company put on for publicity. Planning parties might seem silly to most, but Caroline enjoyed every minute.

She made it to her desk, where a fancy coffee awaited her. "Good morning, gorgeous," Enzo said from behind her. She whirled around to peck him lightly on the lips, aware of their surroundings. While working at the same company as her boyfriend made for great access during the day, there was definitely a downside in limiting their affection.

"Good morning," she said, picking up her coffee for a sip. "Have you heard from Damon yet?"

"About the happy couple," he asked, reaching for her hand. There was nothing subtle about the action, both of them curious if they were just missing something with the whole soulmate business. Clearly not feeling anything out of the ordinary, Enzo just shrugged. "He's been lovesick over his brother's girl for ages. At least now he knows why."

"We're happy, too," Caroline said, though not as confidently as she meant. She really didn't want to open the can of worms that the grass could be greener elsewhere, but if the soulmate thing was real…

"Disgustingly so," Enzo said, leaning down for another kiss. "I've got to go check my email before this big announcement. I'll see you in the auditorium, gorgeous."

As he left for his office in customer service, Caroline didn't even try to hide the big smile he brought to her face. She had such a good boyfriend, and she found him without any mystical juju.

* * *

"Bonnie," Caroline called, finding her friend in the front row of the eMates auditorium and taking the seat next to her. The company was growing so fast in popularity, they needed the space for company wide updates and press conferences. "Do you know what this is about?"

Bonnie worked in Technology Development, a department which Caroline lumped together as "computer people." Super smart and inventive, Bonnie had already improved their algorithm for matching clients to prospective mates by leaps and bounds. Her serene calm, though, told Caroline that she knew exactly what was about to be presented.

"Let's just say that Damon and Elena won't be the only lucky ones anymore," she answered cryptically.

"Ugh," Caroline groaned. "She called you, too? I swear, if she wants to tell the whole world how wonderful Damon is, she needs to take me off that listserv." Getting out her rant over Elena's new mate status, Caroline finally processed what Bonnie had said. "Bon-"

"Hello, everyone," Alaric said from the front. He had built the company as a way to find love after his first wife broke his heart and left him. "The eMates team has been very successful in sparking solid relationships all over the world. Today, we wanted to share the next step in our software.

"We've all heard the legends regarding soulmates. When you touch hands, your world finds a new center because this is the one person you're supposed to spend your life with. It's rare enough that we can write off instances as overestimation, but not so rare that we can fully deny the possibility. Here at eMates, we've turned the possibility into reality."

Caroline looked over to Bonnie, whose eyes had a triumphant gleam in them. She turned back to Alaric, something uncomfortable settling in her spine.

"With the fingerprint technology freely available on smartphones, our developers were able to collect this data from volunteer soulmate pairs. They have built an algorithm that can predict the results of hands touching in a potential match. Our current research has a seventy-five percent success rate on finding true mates," Alaric said proudly. "And now, we need your help.

"Whether it's to find a new relationship, double-check a current one, or just for a laugh, we are seeking volunteers within the company to sign up for the beta matching process."

Caroline's entire face scrunched into a frown. Not only was her company legitimizing this soulmate nonsense, they wanted her to help perfect it. She peeked over her shoulder to find Enzo's face in the crowd. Caroline cringed at the intrigue in his expression.

* * *

Three months later, Caroline was miserable.

Bonnie had strong-armed her into signing up, if only for improving the service. Enzo was more than happy to agree, though he insisted it was just a lark. Their relationship wasn't that serious yet, but it still annoyed Caroline that he was keeping his options open.

Only a week had passed before he matched with someone in the California office, some woman named Maggie. "It's the oddest thing," Enzo had explained. "We went to grade school together before her family moved away." Caroline could tell he felt bad about leaving her in the dust, but she still encouraged him to transfer.

As everyone around the company was giddy with the success of their beta test, Caroline stood out as the crabby one. "Come on, Care," Bonnie said at lunch one day. "Your match is out there somewhere, he just doesn't work for the company. We open to the public next week, just you wait."

"And if he never signs up," Caroline asked. "Or if he's married? What if he's terrible and I don't want to be with him? This whole thing sucks."

"But what if he's great," Bonnie pointed out. "Single, hot, and completely nuts for you?"

Though she was an optimist in everything else, Caroline had no faith in her romantic history. "I have yet to meet anyone who fits that description," she said, poking at her salad. "Enzo was the closest, and he just dropped me for his soul mate."

Bonnie just sighed. "Which means that you have one, too," she tried.

Caroline wasn't holding her breath.

* * *

"No, Bekah," Klaus seethed. "I'm not signing up for an inane dating site. I happen to like my life as it is."

He was wiping down the bar, taking the rare night that he worked the line. His sister had stopped by for a gin and tonic, plus a lecture on his on single status.

"I'm tired of meeting bimbos, Nik," Rebekah whined. "You could have a soul mate out there somewhere, and you're just refusing to find out."

"You haven't found one yet," he pointed out rudely, giving the bar a quick survey. Only a few people were around, and none of them regulars to tease him over his baby sister's badgering. She had been crowing about this site for months, but she still hadn't convinced him to join.

"I received a name," she announced smugly. "Stefan Salvatore is out there and waiting for me, just you watch."

Rolling his eyes, Klaus just watched her bounce out of the bar without paying for her drink. Cleaning up, he noticed another blonde slip into the same seat a while later. "What can I get you?"

"Scotch, neat please," she said politely, unwrapping the scarf from her neck.

He poured her drink, but she stopped him before he put the bottle away. "Can you make it a double," she asked. "I'm meeting a friend, and she's going to be unbearable."

"Engagement," he asked, filling the glass a bit more. Klaus was no stranger to women drowning their lonely heart sorrows because of a friend's marital bliss.

"Might as well be," the girl muttered. Looking up sheepishly, she shrugged. "She's been dancing around her feelings for this guy forever, while dating his brother. She found out they're actually soulmates, and this is the first time in months I've seen her because she's been so wrapped up in him."

Klaus groaned in commiseration. "My sister has been obsessed with soulmates as well," he said. He didn't usually share with his customers, but something about this girl was so open, he couldn't help it. "She's even been pestering me to sign up for that horrendous eMates program."

The blonde scoffed. "You think that's bad," she said. "Try working for eMates. My coworker begged me to sign up. She feels so bad because clearly, there is no match for me."

"I can't imagine that, love," Klaus said honestly. She was stunning, anyone could see that.

"The name is Caroline," she corrected automatically, though giving a kind smile as she offered her hand.

"Klaus," he said, reaching to accept the handshake.

The second they clasped hands, their eyes shot up and locked on each other.

"Well, shit," Caroline breathed, eyes wide.


	2. Detour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Hi! I hope you're okay. Well, I wanted to ask you if you could to a sequel on your drabble Perfect Timing? The Mates one. I loved it and it would be awesome if you to did a second part. Please!

"You're seeing her tonight, aren't you?"

Klaus groaned, looking up to see his sister's mischievous grin across the bar. "I'm not sure what you mean, Bekah," he answered, pointedly avoiding her smug face.

"You know exactly what I mean," she teased. "A little pomade in the hair, your nice vest with an actual collared shirt. You're putting in effort with this girl."

He went about his final inventory check before the evening crowd, determined to ignore Rebekah's attempts at fishing for information. Klaus had yet to actually tell anyone about his recent soulmate revelation. His siblings had figured out he was seeing someone, but only Rebekah cared enough to dig deeper.

Squirming in her seat, Rebekah huffed in frustration. She hated when her brothers hid things from her. "Come on, Nik," she cried. "Give me anything. A name. How you met. Why you like her. Something?"

A small grin appeared on his face, without his permission, and Rebekah jumped on the opportunity. "You're smiling," she crowed. "You must like her a lot."

"She's," Klaus started, pausing to gather his thoughts. "She surprises me. She loves fun and laughter, but she only feels relaxed when she's in complete control, over the plans, over the schedule, everything. She wasn't too happy when I came along, because I wasn't in her plans at all."

Rebekah was rapt, watching her brother practically glow while talking about his mystery girl. She had never seen him like this before. "How did you meet?"

Glancing up, Klaus realized he had shared more than he intended. Finishing up his duties behind the bar, he coughed. "I think that's enough, Bekah," he said. "I've got to get going, or I'm going to be late."

"Which your schedule-loving girlfriend wouldn't appreciate," Rebekah pointed out, already using what information he spilled against him. "You know you'll have to bring her around the family eventually."

"But not today," he retorted, clapping his assistant manager on the back as he left the bar altogether. Rebekah watched him leave, unable to help a smile at how happy her brother seemed to be heading out on his date.

* * *

Caroline was nervous, anxiously cleaning her apartment as she waited for Klaus to arrive. It was just supposed to be dinner, but she still felt jittery.

If she were being honest with herself, Caroline might have realized she just missed Klaus.

Finding her soulmate was supposed to be this magical thing that made everything else in the world fade. When she met Klaus, all she had heard about the mate connection proved to be true. Just as she had been so annoyed with Elena's complete focus on Damon, Caroline also understood why it was an easy trap to fall into. Terrified that she would shut out the rest of her life in favor of spending time with Klaus, she quickly placed rules on their relationship.

Texting was encouraged, but only one phone call per day would be enough to distract her from work. Plus, they saw each other most nights anyway. Caroline did make sure to plan girls' nights and Skype sessions with her mom, telling Klaus to make time for his own family and friends. They each had their separate lives, and Caroline was determined to take things slow.

Her plans were all well and good, but the fact she was rearranging her kitchen magnets for the third time was proof they needed to speed things up. A knock at her door kicked her nerves into high gear, only calm once she saw him waiting on the other side.

"Hi," she greeted, shyly accepting the flowers he offered with a smirk. "These are beautiful."

"You're beautiful," he countered, leaning in the doorway. His eyes ran over her light pink dress, which emphasized her bust quite perfectly. Klaus resisted the urge to follow her to the kitchen, knowing they'd never leave if he got his hands on her.

Klaus was all for respecting her rules and taking it slow, but two days without seeing his mate had him near the breaking point. It wasn't even about sex; he knew that would come in time, and that their explosive chemistry would serve them well. No, Klaus just wanted to be around her. The struggle to balance his normal life with his desire to have Caroline near was more difficult than he could have imagined.

Biting her lip, Caroline was thinking the same thing as placed the flowers in a vase. She had rushed through relationships before, and her biggest fear was that she could even scare away her soulmate. Honestly, she wanted to screw her rules, and then Klaus. But soon, she'd want him to stay over. And waking up with him? She would want that all the time.

What happened if he didn't want the same?

"Sweetheart," Klaus called from the door. She had been silent the whole time, which was very unlike her. "Is everything okay?"

"I missed you," she blurted out. She shrunk in on herself before she turned to face him.

Concerned, he shut the door behind him and immediately walked toward her. "I missed you, too," he admitted, smiling a bit as he reached for her waist. "I think that's part of the deal, love."

"Okay, but what if we mess this up," Caroline asked frantically, her insecurities making an inconvenient resurgence. "We might come to resent each other so much that we can't stand to even be in the same room, but we'd still have to miss each other all the damn time!"

"Caroline," he said, trying desperately to soothe her before she had a panic attack. Remembering their first meeting, he grabbed her hand. Instantly, a feeling of calm spread through them both. "Caroline," he repeated, resting his forehead against hers. "We can't let worrying about the 'what ifs' ruin how we feel right now. I know it's scary, I've never felt like this about anyone before."

He pulled back, pleased to see her eyes were dry and she hasn't worked herself up too much. "Let's just take this one day at a time," he suggested.

Nodding, Caroline tried to temper the rush of lust flooding her body. Seriously, he was just holding her hand. While it had effectively calmed her anxiety, it also fanned the flames she had tried to keep contained.

"Now," he said with a smirk, "I believe we have a dinner reservation."

When he tried to pull her to the door, though, Caroline just reeled him back into her. She was feeling more confident in their situation, and it was about time they took the next step. Fingering along the open collar of his shirt, she feigned boredom. "I don't know," she sighed. "Maybe we could order in. Later."

Leaning down, Klaus let his lips hover just over hers. "Are you sure, love," he asked huskily. "I'm fine with waiting."

"Maybe you are," she scoffed automatically, only to laugh against his lips when he finally kissed her. His hands raised to hold her cheeks, much like the many kisses they've already shared.

This time, though, Caroline grabbed his hands to move them to her ass. Klaus took the hint and pulled her up, carrying her toward her bedroom.

When Caroline woke the next morning, she realized her prediction was correct; she wanted Klaus there every morning, with her.

On the bright side, at least he also wanted to stay.


End file.
